Shadow Cabinet of Jeremy Corbyn
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Jeremy Corbyn assumed the position of Leader of the Opposition after being elected as Leader of the Labour Party on 12 September 2015; the election was triggered by Ed Miliband's resignation following the Labour Party's electoral defeat at the 2015 general election when David Cameron formed a majority Conservative government.
Corbyn appointed his first Shadow Cabinet in September 2015. A small reshuffle occurred on 5 January 2016, with one further resignation on 11 January 2016. Multiple further resignations occurred on 26 and 27 June 2016.
Contents
Shadow Cabinet members since September 2015[edit]
Current Shadow Cabinet members who are boycotting Shadow Cabinet meetings
Creation[edit]
Corbyn named his first Shadow Cabinet appointments on 13 September and announced its full composition on 14 September. One of Labour's largest reshuffles, the announcement was further delayed by a large number of previous Shadow Cabinet members publicly announcing they would not participate under Corbyn, even if called to do so. The following members declined to serve:
- Chris Leslie was replaced as Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer by John McDonnell[1]
- Yvette Cooper was replaced as Shadow Home Secretary by Andy Burnham[1]
- Chuka Umunna was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills by Angela Eagle; who was further appointed Shadow First Secretary of State, deputising at Prime Minister's Questions, a role that was filled by Hilary Benn in the previous Shadow Cabinet[1]
- Rachel Reeves was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by Owen Smith,[1] though she was on maternity leave at the time of her announcement and the brief had been filled by Stephen Timms since shortly after the general election, who himself rejected a junior role[2]
- Tristram Hunt was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Education by Lucy Powell[1]
- Emma Reynolds was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government by Jon Trickett, who was also appointed to a new role as Shadow Minister for the Constitutional Convention[1]
- Caroline Flint was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change by Lisa Nandy[1]
- Mary Creagh was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for International Development by Diane Abbott[3]
- Shabana Mahmood was replaced as Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury by Seema Malhotra[1]
- Liz Kendall resigned as Shadow Minister for Care and Older People (attending Shadow Cabinet); a junior minister is yet to be announced[1]
The remaining changes are as follows:
- Harriet Harman, who had previously announced she would step down from frontbench politics after nearly 30 years, was replaced as Deputy Leader by Tom Watson, who also replaced Powell as Shadow Minister for the Cabinet Office
- Burnham was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Health by Heidi Alexander
- Vernon Coaker was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Defence by Maria Eagle
- Angela Eagle was replaced as Shadow Leader of the House of Commons by Chris Bryant
- Michael Dugher was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Transport by Lilian Greenwood
- Ivan Lewis, who stated he was willing to serve, was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland by Coaker[4]
- Owen Smith was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Wales by Nia Griffith
- Maria Eagle was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by Kerry McCarthy
- Bryant was replaced as Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport by Dugher
- Trickett was replaced as Shadow Minister without Portfolio by Jon Ashworth, not as a full member, like Trickett, but still attending Shadow Cabinet
- Gloria De Piero was replaced as Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities by Kate Green, but was appointed to a new role as Shadow Minister for Young People and Voter Registration with full Shadow Cabinet membership
- Luciana Berger was appointed to a new role as Shadow Minister for Mental Health with full Shadow Cabinet membership
- The Lord Bach was replaced as Shadow Attorney General (attending Shadow Cabinet) by Catherine McKinnell
- Roberta Blackman-Woods was replaced as Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning by John Healey, though Healey would be attending Shadow Cabinet, unlike Blackman-Woods
Composition[edit]
- Out of the 31 members of Corbyn's Shadow Cabinet, 17 are women, making his the first frontbench team in British parliamentary history to comprise a female majority. Corbyn was criticised for giving what are traditionally seen as the top jobs (Chancellor, Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary) to men, although he insisted that positions such as Education and Health Secretary were just as important.[5]
- All members of Corbyn's Shadow Cabinet previously voted in favour of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013.[6]
January 2016 reshuffle[edit]
On 6 January 2016, Corbyn replaced Shadow Culture Secretary Michael Dugher with Shadow Defence Secretary Maria Eagle (who was in turn replaced by Shadow Employment Minister Emily Thornberry).[7] He also replaced Shadow Europe Minister (not attending Shadow Cabinet) Pat McFadden with Pat Glass.[7] The reshuffle prompted three junior shadow ministers to resign in solidarity with McFadden: Shadow Rail Minister Jonathan Reynolds, Shadow Defence Minister Kevan Jones and Shadow Foreign Minister Stephen Doughty.[7][8][9] On 7 January, Reynolds was replaced by Andy McDonald, Doughty by Fabian Hamilton, Jones by Kate Hollern and Thornberry by Angela Rayner; as well as appointing Jenny Chapman to the education team and Jo Stevens to the justice team.[10]
On 11 January 2016, Shadow Attorney General Catherine McKinnell resigned, citing party infighting, family reasons and the ability to speak in Parliament beyond her legal portfolio. She was replaced by Karl Turner.[11]
June 2016 reshuffle[edit]
Resignations[edit]
On Sunday 26 June and Monday 27 June 2016, a number of members of the shadow cabinet either resigned or were sacked. This process began with Jeremy Corbyn sacking Hilary Benn as Shadow Foreign Secretary in the early hours of Sunday morning after Benn informed Corbyn that he had lost confidence in his leadership in the wake of the vote to leave the European Union. Subsequently, the following resigned (in chronological order):
- Heidi Alexander – Shadow Health Secretary
- Gloria De Piero – Shadow Minister for Young People and Voter Registration
- Ian Murray – Shadow Scottish Secretary
- Lilian Greenwood – Shadow Transport Secretary
- Lucy Powell – Shadow Education Secretary
- Kerry McCarthy – Shadow Environment Secretary
- Seema Malhotra – Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
- Vernon Coaker – Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary
- Charles Falconer – Shadow Justice Secretary
- Karl Turner – Shadow Attorney General
- Chris Bryant – Shadow Leader of the House of Commons
- Diana Johnson - Shadow Foreign and Commonwealth Minister
On 27 June:
- Lisa Nandy – Shadow Energy Secretary
- Owen Smith – Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary
- Angela Eagle - Shadow First Secretary of State and Shadow Business Secretary
- John Healey - Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning
- Nia Griffith - Shadow Welsh Secretary
- Maria Eagle - Shadow Culture Secretary
- Kate Green - Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
- Luciana Berger - Shadow Minister for Mental Health
All cited concerns over the EU vote and Corbyn's leadership.[12][13] The BBC's political editor Laura Kuenssberg reported that up to half the shadow cabinet are expected to resign.[14] The resignations are widely considered to be the beginning of an attempted leadership coup against Corbyn.
New appointments[edit]
On 27 June 2016, Corbyn appointed several new MPs to shadow cabinet positions:[15]
- Emily Thornberry – Shadow Foreign Secretary
- Diane Abbott – Shadow Health Secretary
- Pat Glass – Shadow Education Secretary
- Andy McDonald – Shadow Transport Secretary
- Clive Lewis – Shadow Defence Secretary
- Rebecca Long-Bailey – Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury
- Kate Osamor – Shadow International Development Secretary
- Rachael Maskell – Shadow Environment Secretary
- Cat Smith – Shadow Minister for Voter Engagement and Youth Affairs
- Dave Anderson – Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary
- Richard Burgon – Shadow Justice Secretary
- Debbie Abrahams – Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary
- Grahame Morris – Shadow Communities Secretary
- Barry Gardiner – Shadow Energy Secretary
- Jon Trickett – Shadow Lord President of the Council
- Angela Rayner – Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
Economic Advisory Committee[edit]
On 27 September 2015, the formation of an Economic Advisory Committee was announced, with John McDonnell saying: "I am delighted to convene this Economic Advisory Committee that will assist in developing a radical but pragmatic and deliverable economic policy for our country."[16]
- David Blanchflower, Professor, Dartmouth College and former member of the Monetary Policy Committee (resigned 29 June 2016)
- Mariana Mazzucato, Professor, University of Sussex
- Anastasia Nesvetailova, Professor, City University London
- Thomas Piketty, Professor, Paris School of Economics (Resigned, as of 29th June 2016)
- Ann Pettifor, Director, Policy Research in Macroeconomics (PRIME)
- Joseph Stiglitz, Professor, Columbia University and recipient of the 2001 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences
- Simon Wren-Lewis, Professor, University of Oxford
See also[edit]
- Official Opposition (United Kingdom)
- Official Opposition frontbench
- Cabinet of the United Kingdom
- British Government frontbench
- Liberal Democrat Frontbench Team
- Frontbench Team of Angus Robertson
References[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Riley-Smith, Ben (14 September 2015). "Chaos behind Jeremy Corbyn's reshuffle revealed". The Telegraph. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Murphy, Joe (15 September 2015). "Jeremy Corbyn: I won’t wear White Poppy at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Day". Evening Standard. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
- ^ "Andy Burnham and John McDonnell get top jobs in Corbyn's Shadow Cabinet". The Telegraph. 14 September 2015. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Williams, Rob (13 September 2015). "Ivan Lewis out of Shadow Cabinet after Jeremy Corbyn rejects his offer to stay in Northern Ireland job". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Dathan, Matt (14 September 2015). "Jeremy Corbyn comes out fighting amid sexism row and insists shadow Cabinet positions he has given to women are the real 'top jobs'". The Independent. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ Wells, Nick (14 September 2015). "Labour’s new shadow cabinet all voted in favour of same-sex marriage". PinkNews. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
- ^ a b c "Labour reshuffle: Thornberry replaces Eagle for defence, McFadden sacked and Benn stays".
- ^ https://www.facebook.com/JonathanreynoldsMP/posts/457765404423840:0
- ^ http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jan/06/shadow-rail-minister-jonathan-reynolds-resigns-labour-reshuffle
- ^ Perraudin, Frances (7 January 2016). "Six junior shadow ministers appointed as Corbyn completes reshuffle". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
- ^ Perraudin, Frances (11 January 2016). "Labour's Catherine McKinnell quits shadow cabinet". BBC News. Retrieved 11 January 2016.
- ^ Anushka, Asthana (26 June 2016). "Labour in crisis: shadow ministers resign in protests against Corbyn". The Guardian. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
- ^ https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/747016647064563712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw. Missing or empty
|title=(help) - ^ https://twitter.com/bbclaurak/status/746960896199630848. Missing or empty
|title=(help). - ^ "Jeremy Corbyn unveils new top team after resignations". BBC News. 27 June 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2016.
- ^ "Labour announces new Economic Advisory Committee". Labour Press. Retrieved 27 September 2015.
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